text:
Executive Order 13514—Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and to establish an integrated strategy towards sustainability in the Federal Government and to make reduction of greenhouse gas emissions a priority for Federal agencies, it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Policy. In order to create a clean energy economy that will increase our Nation's prosperity, promote energy security, protect the interests of taxpayers, and safeguard the health of our environment, the Federal Government must lead by example. It is therefore the policy of the United States that Federal agencies shall increase energy efficiency; measure, report, and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions from direct and indirect activities; conserve and protect water resources through efficiency, reuse, and stormwater management; eliminate waste, recycle, and prevent pollution; leverage agency acquisitions to foster markets for sustainable technologies and environmentally preferable materials, products, and services; design, construct, maintain, and operate high performance sustainable buildings in sustainable locations; strengthen the vitality and livability of the communities in which Federal facilities are located; and inform Federal employees about and involve them in the achievement of these goals.
It is further the policy of the United States that to achieve these goals and support their respective missions, agencies shall prioritize actions based on a full accounting of both economic and social benefits and costs and shall drive continuous improvement by annually evaluating performance, extending or expanding projects that have net benefits, and reassessing or discontinuing under-performing projects.
Finally, it is also the policy of the United States that agencies' efforts and outcomes in implementing this order shall be transparent and that agencies shall therefore disclose results associated with the actions taken pursuant to this order on publicly available Federal websites.
Sec. 2. Goals for Agencies. In implementing the policy set forth in section 1 of this order, and preparing and implementing the Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan called for in section 8 of this order, the head of each agency shall:
(a) within 90 days of the date of this order, establish and report to the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ Chair) and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB Director) a percentage reduction target for agency-wide reductions of scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions in absolute terms by fiscal year 2020, relative to a fiscal year 2008 baseline of the agency's scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions. Where appropriate, the target shall exclude direct emissions from excluded vehicles and equipment and from electric power produced and sold commercially to other parties in the course of regular business. This target shall be subject to review and approval by the CEQ Chair in consultation with the OMB Director under section 5 of this order. In establishing the target, the agency head shall consider reductions associated with:
(i) reducing energy intensity in agency buildings;
(ii) increasing agency use of renewable energy and implementing renewable energy generation projects on agency property; and
(iii) reducing the use of fossil fuels by:
(A) using low greenhouse gas emitting vehicles including alternative fuel vehicles;
(B) optimizing the number of vehicles in the agency fleet; and
(C) reducing, if the agency operates a fleet of at least 20 motor vehicles, the agency fleet's total consumption of petroleum products by a minimum of 2 percent annually through the end of fiscal year 2020, relative to a baseline of fiscal year 2005;
(b) within 240 days of the date of this order and concurrent with submission of the Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan as described in section 8 of this order, establish and report to the CEQ Chair and the OMB Director a percentage reduction target for reducing agency-wide scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions in absolute terms by fiscal year 2020, relative to a fiscal year 2008 baseline of agency scope 3 emissions. This target shall be subject to review and approval by the CEQ Chair in consultation with the OMB Director under section 5 of this order. In establishing the target, the agency head shall consider reductions associated with:
(i) pursuing opportunities with vendors and contractors to address and incorporate incentives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (such as changes to manufacturing, utility or delivery services, modes of transportation used, or other changes in supply chain activities);
(ii) implementing strategies and accommodations for transit, travel, training, and conferencing that actively support lower-carbon commuting and travel by agency staff;
(iii) greenhouse gas emission reductions associated with pursuing other relevant goals in this section; and
(iv) developing and implementing innovative policies and practices to address scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions unique to agency operations;
(c) establish and report to the CEQ Chair and OMB Director a comprehensive inventory of absolute greenhouse gas emissions, including scope 1, scope 2, and specified scope 3 emissions (i) within 15 months of the date of this order for fiscal year 2010, and (ii) thereafter, annually at the end of January, for the preceding fiscal year.
(d) improve water use efficiency and management by:
(i) reducing potable water consumption intensity by 2 percent annually through fiscal year 2020, or 26 percent by the end of fiscal year 2020, relative to a baseline of the agency's water consumption in fiscal year 2007, by implementing water management strategies including water-efficient and low-flow fixtures and efficient cooling towers;
(ii) reducing agency industrial, landscaping, and agricultural water consumption by 2 percent annually or 20 percent by the end of fiscal year 2020 relative to a baseline of the agency's industrial, landscaping, and agricultural water consumption in fiscal year 2010;
(iii) consistent with State law, identifying, promoting, and implementing water reuse strategies that reduce potable water consumption; and
(iv) implementing and achieving the objectives identified in the stormwater management guidance referenced in section 14 of this order;
(e) promote pollution prevention and eliminate waste by:
(i) minimizing the generation of waste and pollutants through source reduction;
(ii) diverting at least 50 percent of non-hazardous solid waste, excluding construction and demolition debris, by the end of fiscal year 2015;
(iii) diverting at least 50 percent of construction and demolition materials and debris by the end of fiscal year 2015;
(iv) reducing printing paper use and acquiring uncoated printing and writing paper containing at least 30 percent postconsumer fiber;
(v) reducing and minimizing the quantity of toxic and hazardous chemicals and
(vi) increasing diversion of compostable and organic material from the waste stream;
(vii) implementing integrated pest management and other appropriate landscape management practices;
(viii) increasing agency use of acceptable alternative chemicals and processes in keeping with the agency's procurement policies;
(ix) decreasing agency use of chemicals where such decrease will assist the agency in achieving greenhouse gas emission reduction targets under section 2(a) and (b) of this order; and
(x) reporting in accordance with the requirements of sections 301 through 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986 (42 U.S.C. 11001 et seq.);
(f) advance regional and local integrated planning by:
(i) participating in regional transportation planning and recognizing existing community transportation infrastructure;
(ii) aligning Federal policies to increase the effectiveness of local planning for energy choices such as locally generated renewable energy;
(iii) ensuring that planning for new Federal facilities or new leases includes consideration of sites that are pedestrian friendly, near existing employment centers, and accessible to public transit, and emphasizes existing central cities and, in rural communities, existing or planned town centers;
(iv) identifying and analyzing impacts from energy usage and alternative energy sources in all Environmental Impact Statements and Environmental Assessments for proposals for new or expanded Federal facilities under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.); and
(v) coordinating with regional programs for Federal, State, tribal, and local ecosystem, watershed, and environmental management;
(g) implement high performance sustainable Federal building design, construction, operation and management, maintenance, and deconstruction including by:
(i) beginning in 2020 and thereafter, ensuring that all new Federal buildings that enter the planning process are designed to achieve zero-net-energy by 2030;
(ii) ensuring that all new construction, major renovation, or repair and alteration of Federal buildings complies with the Guiding Principles for Federal Leadership in High Performance and Sustainable Buildings, (Guiding Principles);
(iii) ensuring that at least 15 percent of the agency's existing buildings (above 5,000 gross square feet) and building leases (above 5,000 gross square feet) meet the Guiding Principles by fiscal year 2015 and that the agency makes annual progress toward 100-percent conformance with the Guiding Principles for its building inventory;
(iv) pursuing cost-effective, innovative strategies, such as highly reflective and vegetated roofs, to minimize consumption of energy, water, and materials;
(v) managing existing building systems to reduce the consumption of energy, water, and materials, and identifying alternatives to renovation that reduce existing assets' deferred maintenance costs;
(vi) when adding assets to the agency's real property inventory, identifying opportunities to consolidate and dispose of existing assets, optimize the performance of the agency's real-property portfolio, and reduce associated environmental impacts; and
(vii) ensuring that rehabilitation of federally owned historic buildings utilizes best practices and technologies in retrofitting to promote long-term viability of the buildings;
(h) advance sustainable acquisition to ensure that 95 percent of new contract actions including task and delivery orders, for products and services with the exception of acquisition of weapon systems, are energy-efficient (Energy Star or Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) designated), water-efficient, biobased, environmentally preferable (e.g., Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) certified), non-ozone depleting, contain recycled content, or are non-toxic or less-toxic alternatives, where such products and services meet agency performance requirements;
(i) promote electronics stewardship, in particular by:
(i) ensuring procurement preference for EPEAT-registered electronic products;
(ii) establishing and implementing policies to enable power management, duplex printing, and other energy-efficient or environmentally preferable features on all eligible agency electronic products;
(iii) employing environmentally sound practices with respect to the agency's disposition of all agency excess or surplus electronic products;
(iv) ensuring the procurement of Energy Star and FEMP designated electronic equipment;
(v) implementing best management practices for energy-efficient management of servers and Federal data centers; and
(j) sustain environmental management, including by:
(i) continuing implementation of formal environmental management systems at all appropriate organizational levels; and
(ii) ensuring these formal systems are appropriately implemented and maintained to achieve the performance necessary to meet the goals of this order.
Sec. 3. Steering Committee on Federal Sustainability. The OMB Director and the CEQ Chair shall:
(a) establish an interagency Steering Committee (Steering Committee) on Federal Sustainability composed of the Federal Environmental Executive, designated under section 6 of Executive Order 13423 of January 24, 2007, and Agency Senior Sustainability Officers, designated under section 7 of this order, and that shall:
(i) serve in the dual capacity of the Steering Committee on Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management designated by the CEQ Chair pursuant to section 4 of Executive Order 13423;
(ii) advise the OMB Director and the CEQ Chair on implementation of this order;
(iii) facilitate the implementation of each agency's Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan; and
(iv) share information and promote progress towards the goals of this order;
(b) enlist the support of other organizations within the Federal Government to assist the Steering Committee in addressing the goals of this order;
(c) establish and disband, as appropriate, interagency subcommittees of the Steering Committee, to assist the Steering Committee in carrying out its responsibilities;
(d) determine appropriate Federal actions to achieve the policy of section 1 and the goals of section 2 of this order;
(e) ensure that Federal agencies are held accountable for conformance with the requirements of this order; and
(f) in coordination with the Department of Energy's Federal Energy Management Program and the Office of the Federal Environmental Executive designated under section 6 of Executive Order 13423, provide guidance and assistance to facilitate the development of agency targets for greenhouse gas emission reductions required under subsections 2(a) and (b) of this order.
Sec. 4. Additional Duties of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. In addition to the duties of the OMB Director specified elsewhere in this order, the OMB Director shall:
(a) review and approve each agency's multi-year Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan under section 8 of this order and each update of the Plan. The Director shall, where feasible, review each agency's Plan concurrently with OMB's review and evaluation of the agency's budget request;
(b) prepare scorecards providing periodic evaluation of Federal agency performance in implementing this order and publish scorecard results on a publicly available website; and
(c) approve and issue instructions to the heads of agencies concerning budget and appropriations matters relating to implementation of this order.
Sec. 5. Additional Duties of the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality. In addition to the duties of the CEQ Chair specified elsewhere in this order, the CEQ Chair shall:
(a) issue guidance for greenhouse gas accounting and reporting required under section 2 of this order;
(b) issue instructions to implement this order, in addition to instructions within the authority of the OMB Director to issue under subsection 4(c) of this order;
(c) review and approve each agency's targets, in consultation with the OMB Director, for agency-wide reductions of greenhouse gas emissions under section 2 of this order;
(d) prepare, in coordination with the OMB Director, streamlined reporting metrics to determine each agency's progress under section 2 of this order;
(e) review and evaluate each agency's multi-year Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan under section 8 of this order and each update of the Plan;
(f) assess agency progress toward achieving the goals and policies of this order, and provide its assessment of the agency's progress to the OMB Director;
(g) within 120 days of the date of this order, provide the President with an aggregate Federal Government-wide target for reducing scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions in absolute terms by fiscal year 2020 relative to a fiscal year 2008 baseline;
(h) within 270 days of the date of this order, provide the President with an aggregate Federal Government-wide target for reducing scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions in absolute terms by fiscal year 2020 relative to a fiscal year 2008 baseline;
(i) establish and disband, as appropriate, interagency working groups to provide recommendations to the CEQ for areas of Federal agency operational and managerial improvement associated with the goals of this order; and
(j) administer the Presidential leadership awards program, established under subsection 4(c) of Executive Order 13423, to recognize exceptional and outstanding agency performance with respect to achieving the goals of this order and to recognize extraordinary innovation, technologies, and practices employed to achieve the goals of this order.
Sec. 6. Duties of the Federal Environmental Executive. The Federal Environmental Executive designated by the President to head the Office of the Federal Environmental Executive, pursuant to section 6 of Executive Order 13423, shall:
(a) identify strategies and tools to assist Federal implementation efforts under this order, including through the sharing of best practices from successful Federal sustainability efforts; and
(b) monitor and advise the CEQ Chair and the OMB Director on the agencies' implementation of this order and their progress in achieving the order's policies and goals.
Sec. 7. Agency Senior Sustainability Officers. (a) Within 30 days of the date of this order, the head of each agency shall designate from among the agency's senior management officials a Senior Sustainability Officer who shall be accountable for agency conformance with the requirements of this order; and shall report such designation to the OMB Director and the CEQ Chair.
(b) The Senior Sustainability Officer for each agency shall perform the functions of the senior agency official designated by the head of each agency pursuant to section 3(d)(i) of Executive Order 13423 and shall be responsible for:
(i) preparing the targets for agency-wide reductions and the inventory of greenhouse gas emissions required under subsections 2(a), (b), and (c) of this order;
(ii) within 240 days of the date of this order, and annually thereafter, preparing and submitting to the CEQ Chair and the OMB Director, for their review and approval, a multi-year Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan (Sustainability Plan or Plan) as described in section 8 of this order;
(iii) preparing and implementing the approved Plan in coordination with appropriate offices and organizations within the agency including the General Counsel, Chief Information Officer, Chief Acquisition Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and Senior Real Property Officers, and in coordination with other agency plans, policies, and activities;
(iv) monitoring the agency's performance and progress in implementing the Plan, and reporting the performance and progress to the CEQ Chair and the OMB Director, on such schedule and in such format as the Chair and the Director may require; and
(v) reporting annually to the head of the agency on the adequacy and effectiveness of the agency's Plan in implementing this order.
Sec. 8. Agency Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan. Each agency shall develop, implement, and annually update an integrated Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan that will prioritize agency actions based on lifecycle return on investment. Each agency Plan and update shall be subject to approval by the OMB Director under section 4 of this order. With respect to the period beginning in fiscal year 2011 and continuing through the end of fiscal year 2021, each agency Plan shall:
(a) include a policy statement committing the agency to compliance with environmental and energy statutes, regulations, and Executive Orders;
(b) achieve the sustainability goals and targets, including greenhouse gas reduction targets, established under section 2 of this order;
(c) be integrated into the agency's strategic planning and budget process, including the agency's strategic plan under section 3 of the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993, as amended (5 U.S.C. 306);
(d) identify agency activities, policies, plans, procedures, and practices that are relevant to the agency's implementation of this order, and where necessary, provide for development and implementation of new or revised policies, plans, procedures, and practices;
(e) identify specific agency goals, a schedule, milestones, and approaches for achieving results, and quantifiable metrics for agency implementation of this order;
(f) take into consideration environmental measures as well as economic and social benefits and costs in evaluating projects and activities based on lifecycle return on investment;
(g) outline planned actions to provide information about agency progress and performance with respect to achieving the goals of this order on a publicly available Federal website;
(h) incorporate actions for achieving progress metrics identified by the OMB Director and the CEQ Chair;
(i) evaluate agency climate-change risks and vulnerabilities to manage the effects of climate change on the agency's operations and mission in both the short and long term; and
(j) identify in annual updates opportunities for improvement and evaluation of past performance in order to extend or expand projects that have net lifecycle benefits, and reassess or discontinue under-performing projects.
Sec. 9. Recommendations for Greenhouse Gas Accounting and Reporting. The Department of Energy, through its Federal Energy Management Program, and in coordination with the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Defense, the General Services Administration, the Department of the Interior, the Department of Commerce, and other agencies as appropriate, shall:
(a) within 180 days of the date of this order develop and provide to the CEQ Chair recommended Federal greenhouse gas reporting and accounting procedures for agencies to use in carrying out their obligations under subsections 2(a), (b), and (c) of this order, including procedures that will ensure that agencies:
(i) accurately and consistently quantify and account for greenhouse gas emissions from all scope 1, 2, and 3 sources, using accepted greenhouse gas accounting and reporting principles, and identify appropriate opportunities to revise the fiscal year 2008 baseline to address significant changes in factors affecting agency emissions such as reorganization and improvements in accuracy of data collection and estimation procedures or other major changes that would otherwise render the initial baseline information unsuitable;
(ii) consider past Federal agency efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and
(iii) consider and account for sequestration and emissions of greenhouse gases resulting from Federal land management practices;
(b) within 1 year of the date of this order, to ensure consistent and accurate reporting under this section, provide electronic accounting and reporting capability for the Federal greenhouse gas reporting procedures developed under subsection (a) of this section, and to the extent practicable, ensure compatibility between this capability and existing Federal agency reporting systems; and
(c) every 3 years from the date of the CEQ Chair's issuance of the initial version of the reporting guidance, and as otherwise necessary, develop and provide recommendations to the CEQ Chair for revised Federal greenhouse gas reporting procedures for agencies to use in implementing subsections 2(a), (b), and (c) of this order.
Sec. 10. Recommendations for Sustainable Locations for Federal Facilities. Within 180 days of the date of this order, the Department of Transportation, in accordance with its Sustainable Partnership Agreement with the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Environmental Protection Agency, and in coordination with the General Services Administration, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense, and other agencies as appropriate, shall:
(a) review existing policies and practices associated with site selection for Federal facilities; and
(b) provide recommendations to the CEQ Chair regarding sustainable location strategies for consideration in Sustainability Plans. The recommendations shall be consistent with principles of sustainable development including prioritizing central business district and rural town center locations, prioritizing sites well served by transit, including site design elements that ensure safe and convenient pedestrian access, consideration of transit access and proximity to housing affordable to a wide range of Federal employees, adaptive reuse or renovation of buildings, avoidance of development of sensitive land resources, and evaluation of parking management strategies.
Sec. 11. Recommendations for Federal Local Transportation Logistics. Within 180 days of the date of this order, the General Services Administration, in coordination with the Department of Transportation, the Department of the Treasury, the Department of Energy, the Office of Personnel Management, and other agencies as appropriate, shall review current policies and practices associated with use of public transportation by Federal personnel, Federal shuttle bus and vehicle transportation routes supported by multiple Federal agencies, and use of alternative fuel vehicles in Federal shuttle bus fleets, and shall provide recommendations to the CEQ Chair on how these policies and practices could be revised to support the implementation of this order and the achievement of its policies and goals.
Sec. 12. Guidance for Federal Fleet Management. Within 180 days of the date of this order, the Department of Energy, in coordination with the General Services Administration, shall issue guidance on Federal fleet management that addresses the acquisition of alternative fuel vehicles and use of alternative fuels; the use of biodiesel blends in diesel vehicles; the acquisition of electric vehicles for appropriate functions; improvement of fleet fuel economy; the optimizing of fleets to the agency mission; petroleum reduction strategies, such as the acquisition of low greenhouse gas emitting vehicles and the reduction of vehicle miles traveled; and the installation of renewable fuel pumps at Federal fleet fueling centers.
Sec. 13. Recommendations for Vendor and Contractor Emissions. Within 180 days of the date of this order, the General Services Administration, in coordination with the Department of Defense, the Environmental Protection Agency, and other agencies as appropriate, shall review and provide recommendations to the CEQ Chair and the Administrator of OMB's Office of Federal Procurement Policy regarding the feasibility of working with the Federal vendor and contractor community to provide information that will assist Federal agencies in tracking and reducing scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions related to the supply of products and services to the Government. These recommendations should consider the potential impacts on the procurement process, and the Federal vendor and contractor community including small businesses and other socioeconomic procurement programs. Recommendations should also explore the feasibility of:
(a) requiring vendors and contractors to register with a voluntary registry or organization for reporting greenhouse gas emissions;
(b) requiring contractors, as part of a new or revised registration under the Central Contractor Registration or other tracking system, to develop and make available its greenhouse gas inventory and description of efforts to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions;
(c) using Federal Government purchasing preferences or other incentives for products manufactured using processes that minimize greenhouse gas emissions; and
(d) other options for encouraging sustainable practices and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Sec. 14. Stormwater Guidance for Federal Facilities. Within 60 days of the date of this order, the Environmental Protection Agency, in coordination with other Federal agencies as appropriate, shall issue guidance on the implementation of section 438 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17094).
Sec. 15. Regional Coordination. Within 180 days of the date of this order, the Federal Environmental Executive shall develop and implement a regional implementation plan to support the goals of this order taking into account energy and environmental priorities of particular regions of the United States.
Sec. 16. Agency Roles in Support of Federal Adaptation Strategy. In addition to other roles and responsibilities of agencies with respect to environmental leadership as specified in this order, the agencies shall participate actively in the interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force, which is already engaged in developing the domestic and international dimensions of a U.S. strategy for adaptation to climate change, and shall develop approaches through which the policies and practices of the agencies can be made compatible with and reinforce that strategy. Within 1 year of the date of this order the CEQ Chair shall provide to the President, following consultation with the agencies and the Climate Change Adaptation Task Force, as appropriate, a progress report on agency actions in support of the national adaptation strategy and recommendations for any further such measures as the CEQ Chair may deem necessary.
Sec. 17. Limitations. (a) This order shall apply to an agency with respect to the activities, personnel, resources, and facilities of the agency that are located within the United States. The head of an agency may provide that this order shall apply in whole or in part with respect to the activities, personnel, resources, and facilities of the agency that are not located within the United States, if the head of the agency determines that such application is in the interest of the United States.
(b) The head of an agency shall manage activities, personnel, resources, and facilities of the agency that are not located within the United States, and with respect to which the head of the agency has not made a determination under subsection (a) of this section, in a manner consistent with the policy set forth in section 1 of this order to the extent the head of the agency determines practicable.
Sec. 18. Exemption Authority.
(a) The Director of National Intelligence may exempt an intelligence activity of the United States, and related personnel, resources, and facilities, from the provisions of this order, other than this subsection and section 20, to the extent the Director determines necessary to protect intelligence sources and methods from unauthorized disclosure.
(b) The head of an agency may exempt law enforcement activities of that agency, and related personnel, resources, and facilities, from the provisions of this order, other than this subsection and section 20, to the extent the head of an agency determines necessary to protect undercover operations from unauthorized disclosure.
(c) (i) The head of an agency may exempt law enforcement, protective, emergency response, or military tactical vehicle fleets of that agency from the provisions of this order, other than this subsection and section 20.
(ii) Heads of agencies shall manage fleets to which paragraph (i) of this subsection refers in a manner consistent with the policy set forth in section 1 of this order to the extent they determine practicable.
(d) The head of an agency may exempt particular agency activities and facilities from the provisions of this order, other than this subsection and section 20, where it is in the interest of national security. If the head of an agency issues an exemption under this section, the agency must notify the CEQ Chair in writing within 30 days of issuance of the exemption under this subsection. To the maximum extent practicable, and without compromising national security, each agency shall strive to comply with the purposes, goals, and implementation steps in this order.
(e) The head of an agency may submit to the President, through the CEQ Chair, a request for an exemption of an agency activity, and related personnel, resources, and facilities, from this order.
Sec. 19. Definitions. As used in this order:
(a) "absolute greenhouse gas emissions" means total greenhouse gas emissions without normalization for activity levels and includes any allowable consideration of sequestration;
(b) "agency" means an executive agency as defined in section 105 of title 5, United States Code, excluding the Government Accountability Office;
(c) "alternative fuel vehicle" means vehicles defined by section 301 of the Energy Policy Act of 1992, as amended (42 U.S.C. 13211), and otherwise includes electric fueled vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, dedicated alternative fuel vehicles, dual fueled alternative fuel vehicles, qualified fuel cell motor vehicles, advanced lean burn technology motor vehicles, self-propelled vehicles such as bicycles and any other alternative fuel vehicles that are defined by statute;
(d) "construction and demolition materials and debris" means materials and debris generated during construction, renovation, demolition, or dismantling of all structures and buildings and associated infrastructure;
(e) "divert" and "diverting" means redirecting materials that might otherwise be placed in the waste stream to recycling or recovery, excluding diversion to waste-to-energy facilities;
(f) "energy intensity" means energy consumption per square foot of building space, including industrial or laboratory facilities;
(g) "environmental" means environmental aspects of internal agency operations and activities, including those aspects related to energy and transportation functions;
(h) "excluded vehicles and equipment" means any vehicle, vessel, aircraft, or non-road equipment owned or operated by an agency of the Federal Government that is used in:
(i) combat support, combat service support, tactical or relief operations, or training for such operations;
(ii) Federal law enforcement (including protective service and investigation);
(iii) emergency response (including fire and rescue); or
(iv) spaceflight vehicles (including associated ground-support equipment);
(i) "greenhouse gases" means carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride;
(j) "renewable energy" means energy produced by solar, wind, biomass, landfill gas, ocean (including tidal, wave, current, and thermal), geothermal, municipal solid waste, or new hydroelectric generation capacity achieved from increased efficiency or additions of new capacity at an existing hydroelectric project;
(k) "scope 1, 2, and 3" mean;
(i) scope 1: direct greenhouse gas emissions from sources that are owned or controlled by the Federal agency;
(ii) scope 2: direct greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the generation of electricity, heat, or steam purchased by a Federal agency; and
(iii) scope 3: greenhouse gas emissions from sources not owned or directly controlled by a Federal agency but related to agency activities such as vendor supply chains, delivery services, and employee travel and commuting;
(l) "sustainability" and "sustainable" mean to create and maintain conditions, under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony, that permit fulfilling the social, economic, and other requirements of present and future generations;
(m) "United States" means the fifty States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands, and associated territorial waters and airspace;
(n) "water consumption intensity" means water consumption per square foot of building space; and
(o) "zero-net-energy building" means a building that is designed, constructed, and operated to require a greatly reduced quantity of energy to operate, meet the balance of energy needs from sources of energy that do not produce greenhouse gases, and therefore result in no net emissions of greenhouse gases and be economically viable.
Sec. 20. General Provisions.
(a) This order shall be implemented in a manner consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(b) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect the functions of the OMB Director relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(c) This order is intended only to improve the internal management of the Federal Government and is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
The White House,
October 5, 2009.
THE WHITE HOUSE, October 5, 2009.
NOTE: This proclamation was published in the Federal Register on October 8.
Barack Obama, Executive Order 13514—Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/286728


text:
Year after year, there is a flurry of excitement leading up to the Kentucky Derby, with an endless series of parties and celebrations. It is the one American race that inspires the spectacle and pageantry of a bygone era.
Derby Fashion
In 1875, Colonel Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr. fashioned the Derby after glamorous European horse races. These races required full morning dress for all who attended. The high society women of the day came to the Derby to debut new spring fashions – especially hats. These women were invited to the race as part of Clark's strategy to brand the Derby as an upscale event. In the 1960's television gave women a reason to go all out with their hats, which deepened the "see and be seen" culture.
Unlike the Royal Ascot races, which restrict the size and type of hat for adult women (fascinators are not allowed!), there are no hat restrictions for the Derby. Hats bring good luck to the race, so let your imagination run wild when choosing or creating your hat.
Men also put on their Sunday best for race day, wearing bright, sunny colors, and donning a bow tie and fedora, bowler, or a natty straw Homburg or boater.
Hosting a Kentucky Derby Party
Invitations reveal the color scheme for your Derby Party, as well as what kind of party it is – a brunch, backyard get-together or formal event. Send your invitations well in advance to give you and your guests plenty of time to plan for race day.
Atmosphere lies at the heart of the Kentucky Derby. In 1904, the red rose became the Derby's official flower. Any red rose will work, but for authenticity, use red Freedom Roses, known for their rich, bright color in your décor. If you need inspiration for your party's color scheme, look to colorful jockey silks.
- Freeze rosebuds inside ice cubes, and use them to fill the champagne bucket. When the Derby winner is announced, pop open the bottle to celebrate!
- Decorate the bases of wine glasses with miniature hats for the ladies and bow ties for the gents.
- Fold napkins in the shape of a bow tie, using bright colors that coordinate with your party scheme.
- Dress up your drink stirrers with miniature hats and bows of ribbon.
- Use a lavishly decked-out hat as a table centerpiece.
Photos — Rent a photo booth for your party, or create a picture perfect backdrop with playful props. Take photos of guests in their race day finery, adding trophies, riding crops, fascinators and clip-on bowties as photo booth accessories. Get some giggles out of your guests with a life-size horse and jockey cut-out for their faces. Make your party's hashtag part of the display.
Crafts — Little Derby party guests and adults will have fun crafting hats out of paper plates, ribbons and flowers.
- Corn Hole is an all-American way to bring guests outside for some competition. Customize your Corn Hole board for the Derby.
- Put a twist on Pin the Tail on the Donkey with fun alternatives, like "Pin the Jockey on the Horse" or "Pin the Garland on the Horse."
- Play some rounds of Horseshoes to get in the Derby spirit!
- Play some Derby trivia.
Prizes — Trivia winners of all ages can receive a virgin "Mint Julep" – pour Junior Mints in a traditional silver mint julep cup, and top it with a sprig of mint.
Tradition — As the horses parade to the gate, sing along to "My Old Kentucky Home" with the band and audience on television.
Lyrics below:
The sun shines bright in the old Kentucky home,
Tis summer, the people are gay;
The corn-top's ripe and the meadow's in the bloom
While the birds make music all the day. The young folks roll on the little cabin floor
All merry, all happy and bright;
By'n by hard times comes a knocking at the door
Then my old Kentucky home, Good-night! Weep no more my lady.
Oh! Weep no more today!
We will sing one song for my old Kentucky home
For the old Kentucky home, far away.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
3 Nights | 3-DAY BAHAMAS FROM ORLANDO (PORT CANAVERAL)
You will visit the following 3 places:
Freeport is the main city on the beautiful Grand Bahama, an island in the northwest Bahamas. It's revered for its white-sand beaches, sparkling turquoise waters and abundance of nature activities. Take time to appreciate the island's exceptional natural beauty when exploring the longest underwater cave system in the world, towering indigenous pine trees and outstanding flora and fauna.
Port Canaveral Trailer Park
Port Canaveral is a cruise, cargo and naval port in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It is one of the busiest cruise ports in the world with 3.9 million cruise passengers passing through during 2014. As a deep water cargo port, it has a high volume of traffic. Over 3,000,000 short tons (2,700,000 t) of bulk cargo moves through each year. Common cargo includes cement, petroleum and aggregate. The port has conveyors and hoppers for loading products directly into trucks, and facilities for bulk cargo containers. The channel is about 44 feet (13 m) deep. The port exports fresh citrus; bulk frozen citrus juice stored in one of the largest freezer warehouses in the state; cement and building materials. Ten ships, on average, enter the port each day.
Great Stirrup Cay
Great Stirrup Cay is a small island that is part of the Berry Islands in the Bahamas. Norwegian Cruise Line purchased the island from the Belcher Oil Company in 1977 and developed it into a private island for their cruise ship passengers. The northern part of the island has a sandy beach surrounded by rocks with snorkeling areas. The southern part features a helicopter airfield (with a sign reading "Great Stirrup Cay International Airport"), a large area without vegetation, and numerous concrete blocks. These are all remnants of a previous U.S. military installation and satellite tracking station. The island's lighthouse was originally constructed in 1863 by the Imperial Lighthouse Service. Great Stirrup Cay is adjacent to Little Stirrup Cay, Royal Caribbean Cruises' private island.


text:
Predator of the night - Poster
High quality art posters and photos. Many size options, including standard sizes.
See more details in tabs below.
Product tags (click to search for similiar):
Please select desired size from the menu above.
Note! Sizes marked with asterisk ( * ) divergents by the aspect ratio of the original image. Therefore some cropping needs to be done.
Data sheet
- Material
- Photo, paper or canvas
- Coating
- Matt, glossy or canvas
- Features
- Poster
New product


text: The Rapaport Fair Trade Conference at JCK 2011 focused on the rapidly expanding market for socially responsible jewelry and how each player in the supply chain can add value and grow their customer base by sourcing, creating and selling ethically sourced and fair trade jewelry to the socially conscious consumer. Panel speakers inclued John Hall, general manager of corporate relations with Rio Tinto; Toby Pomeroy, board member with ARM; and Eric Braunwart, president of Columbia Gem House. Attendees engaged in discussions as well offering insight, concerns and direction.


text:
See-Through Soil Could Improve Crops
Lionel Dupuy, Ken Loades, and Helen Downie
(ISNS) -- Newly developed transparent soil could help shed light on the secret world of plant roots. The new material, developed by biologists, chemists and physicists, could improve crops and identify new ways of preventing outbreaks of food poisoning.
Plants absorb water and minerals with root systems that can encompass a volume larger than the above-ground parts of plants. Scientists would love to learn more about roots, but much about them remains hidden underground.
"There are so many things to discover in soil, and we don't know yet what they are," said theoretical biologist Lionel Dupuy at the James Hutton Institute in Dundee, Scotland.
Now, after two years of trial and error involving painstaking tinkering with the acidity, grain size and nutrient content of a variety of artificial soil-like materials, watered in a customized liquid solution, Dupuy and his colleagues managed to develop a transparent soil in which they could grow plants. The material allows 3-D imaging of the rhizosphere -- the realm of soil involving plant roots and the organisms associated with them.
The soil is made of 350-to-1,600-micron-wide pellets of a synthetic material known as Nafion. This compound often finds use in power-generating fuel cells because of how it can help control the flow of current-carrying ions. Past research revealed that the material had another talent: films of bacteria could grow on Nafion membranes. Also, the scientists could modify the Nafion grains to bind to ions dissolved in the surrounding liquid solution, mimicking natural soil chemistry.
This artificial soil is not especially transparent on its own. However, when saturated with a specially designed water-based solution, the way the soil and the solution each bend or "refract" light renders the combination transparent. A similar effect can be seen if you place one clear glass jar in another clear glass jar and fill the smaller jar and the space between jars with paint thinner — the smaller jar will seem to disappear.
Although this material does not perfectly mimic real soil, its physical and chemical qualities are close.
"This is huge progress," said plant biologist Laurent Laplaze at the French Institute of Research for Development in Montpellier, who did not take part in this study. "This is a completely new way to look at roots in a more realistic setup than usually used. It is a major technical breakthrough that opens new avenues for plant physiology, plant breeding and the study of plant-microbe interactions."
Dupuy and his colleagues used transparent soil to analyze how potentially lethal E. coli bacteria interacted with lettuce roots. Although E. coli is normally a beneficial microbe in our guts that fights bad bacteria and can even help produce necessary vitamins, dangerous strains can cause severe food poisoning. The researchers used a genetically modified version of E. coli that carried a green fluorescent protein from jellyfish and watched how it behaved with lettuce. They saw the bacterium form micro-colonies in the root zone that likely helps them survive outside of guts.
"If we understand better the contamination route, then we can develop strategies to limit the transfer of E. coli to the food chain," Dupuy said. "We don't really understand how E. coli enters the food chain, particularly for fresh produce."
Transparent soils could be used to study the spread and transmission of other soil-borne infections.
"For example, nematode worms are responsible for the transmission of viruses to crops, and transparent soils could be used to study their feeding habits," Dupuy said.
Transparent soils could also help analyze the roots of a range of plant varieties, which would help to breed crops with more efficient root systems so that agriculture can use less water and fertilizers.
"Root traits have been little used in breeding programs because basically it was very difficult to conduct high-throughput analysis of root architecture in soil conditions," Laplaze said. "The transparent soil approach now opens new avenues for this."
For instance, scientists could genetically modify plants so that key growth hormones and other compounds are tagged with fluorescent proteins. This would help researchers track how these molecules circulate in live plants and see how roots behave, which could shed light on why some plants do better than others under the same growing conditions.
"If we want to make crops and agriculture more efficient, we need to gather information at the molecular level so that we can breed more efficiently for advantageous root traits," Dupuy said.
Future research will endeavor to find a way to bring down costs on transparent soil, as Nafion is quite expensive, Dupuy added. For instance, a transparent soil based on the Teflon family of materials might be possible, he explained.
The scientists detailed their findings online Sept. 11 in the journal PLoS ONE.


text:
Public Records
It is the policy of the Law Director's Office that openness leads to a better informed citizenry, which leads to better government and better public policy. It is the policy of this office to strictly adhere to the state's Public Records Act. All exemptions to openness are to be construed in their narrowest sense and any denial of public records in response to a valid request must be accompanied by an explanation, including legal authority, as outlined in the Ohio Revised Code. If the request is in writing, the explanation must also be in writing.
Section 1. Public Records
This office, in accordance with the Ohio Revised Code, defines records as including the following: Any document - paper, electronic (including, but not limited to, e-mail), or other format - that is created or received by, or comes under the jurisdiction of a public office that documents the organization, functions, policies, decisions, procedures, operations, or other activities of the office. All records of this office are public unless they are exempt from disclosure under the Ohio Revised Code.
Section 1.1
It is the policy of this office that, as required by Ohio law, records will be organized and maintained so that they are readily available for inspection and copying (See Section 4 for the e-mail record policy). Record retention schedules are to be updated regularly and posted prominently.
Section 2
Record Requests Each request for public records should be evaluated for a response using the following guidelines:
Section 2.1
Although no specific language is required to make a request, the requester must at least identify the records requested with sufficient clarity to allow the public office to identify, retrieve, and review the records. If it is not clear what records are being sought, the records custodian must contact the requester for clarification, and should assist the requestor in revising the request by informing the requestor of the manner in which the office keeps its records.
Section 2.2
The requester does not have to put a records request in writing, and does not have to provide his or her identity or the intended use of the requested public record. It is this office's general policy that this information is not to be requested. However, the records custodian may ask for a written request and may ask for the requestor's identity and/or intended use of the information requested if (1) it would benefit the requestor by helping the public office identify, locate or deliver the records being sought, and (2) the requestor is informed that a written request and the requestor's identity and intended use of the information requested are not required.
Section 2.3
Public records are to be available for inspection Monday through Friday during regular business hours, with the exception of published holidays. Public records must be made available for inspection promptly. Copies of public records must be made available within a reasonable period of time. "Prompt" and "reasonable" take into account the volume of records requested; the proximity of the location where the records are stored; and the necessity for any legal review of the records requested.
Section 2.4
Each request should be evaluated for an estimated length of time required to gather the records. Routine requests for records should be satisfied immediately if feasible to do so. Routine requests include, but are not limited to, meeting minutes (both in draft and final form), budgets, salary information, personnel rosters, etc. If fewer than 20 pages of copies are requested or if the records are readily available in an electronic format that can be e-mailed or downloaded easily, these should be made as quickly as the equipment allows. All requests for public records must be acknowledged in writing within three business days following the office's receipt of the request. If a request is voluminous or will require research, the acknowledgement must include the following:
Section 2.4a
An estimated number of business days it will take to satisfy the request.
Section 2.4b
An estimated cost if copies are requested.
Section 2.4c
Any items within the request that may be exempt from disclosure.
Section 2.5
Any denial of public records requested must include an explanation, including legal authority. If portions of a record are public and portions are exempt, the exempt portions are to be redacted and the rest released. If there are redactions, each redaction must be accompanied by a supporting explanation, including legal authority.
Section 3
Costs for Public Records Those seeking public records will be charged only the actual cost of making copies.
Section 3.1
The charge for paper copies is 5 cents per page.
Section 3.2
The charge for downloaded computer files to a compact disc is $1 per disc.
Section 3.3
There is no charge for documents e-mailed.
Section 3.4
Requesters may ask that documents be mailed to them. They will be charged the actual cost of the postage and mailing supplies.
Section 4
E-mail Documents in electronic mail format are records as defined by the Ohio Revised Code when their content relates to the business of the office. E-mail is to be treated in the same fashion as records in other formats and should follow the same retention schedules.
Section 4.1
Records in private e-mail accounts used to conduct public business are subject to disclosure, and all employees or representatives of this office are instructed to retain their e-mails that relate to public business (see Section 1 Public Records) and to copy them to their business e-mail accounts and/or to the office's records custodian.
Section 4.2
The records custodian is to treat the e-mails from private accounts as records of the public office, filing them in the appropriate way, retaining them per established schedules and making them available for inspection and copying in accordance with the Public Records Act.
Section 5
Failure to Respond to a Public Records Request This office recognizes the legal and non-legal consequences of failure to properly respond to a public records request. In addition to the distrust in government that failure to comply may cause, the office's failure to comply with a request may result in a court ordering the office to comply with the law and to pay the requester's attorney's fees, court costs and damages.


text:
Remember When Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert Fell in Love Onstage?
Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert's wedding anniversary is May 14, but knowing what we know now, another date is just as important. In 2005 fans saw a dopey grin on Shelton's face that was much more than one singer admiring another in song. As Lambert sang her portion of "You're the Reason God Made Oklahoma" during the CMT 100 Greatest Duets concert, the "Honey Bee" star fell hard.
Lambert looked adoringly into Shelton's eyes as the two closed in on each other. Finally, at the end, as the crowd erupted as the now-superstar embraced his future wife and both smiled so hard they nearly came off the floor.
"I was a married guy, you know, standing up there going, 'Man, this shouldn't be happening,'" Shelton said of the moment during Lambert's Behind the Music special on VH1. "Looking back on that, I was falling in love with her right there onstage."
Lambert would agree. "We had instant chemistry," she revealed.
The couple were married during a private ceremony in Boerne, Texas on May 14, 2011. Over 500 guests were in attendance, including Reba McEntire, Dierks Bentley, Lady Antebellum's Charles Kelley and Martina McBride.
Blake and Miranda's Love Through the Years
You Think You Know Miranda Lambert?


text:
Brand: | Bire |
Product Code: | CEB-02 |
Availability: | In Stock |
Grk, the indigenous grape from Dalmatian island Korčula is, along with Pošip, the most potent local white grape variety. It grows only around Lumbarda, a small town at the southern end of island Korčula.
Grown on stony and sandy soil, it has strong minerality with very good acidity which gives freshness despite very prominent body. This wine, produced in tiny amounts (6.000 bottles) is really unique!
Cebalo is a small producer, who has lonest tradition in makiing finest Grk wine in Lumbarda!
The recent vintage was extraordinary and this is one of the finest Grk's ever made! gold medal on IWC Champinship 2019!
Food pairing: with risotto, Oysters and other seafood.
Grape variety | Grk |
Residual sugar | dry |
Alcohol | 14% |
Size | 0,75L |
Serving temp. | 12 ºC |
Bire is a new star in Croatia. He managed to make the very best of the ancient grape variety - Grk and as well to produce an exceptional Plavac from his very old vineyards. His wines are very sought after and rare to find.
The Bire family is one of the most well-loved Grk producers on the island of Korčula. Their winery is well signposted from the main road, and you gear up for a major tourist attraction. But on arriving, we entered the premises to find a simple stone building doubling as both cellar, bottling area and tasting room. Ivo Mariner (the youngest member of the Bire family) revealed that production is a mere 5,000 bottles of Grk a year, plus 10,000 bottles of Plavac Mali.
The Bire Grk has bread, white spice and and melon aromas, with a generous palate which reminds me of Pinot Gris. The length, as is typical for this grape, is very good. The wine is vinified in another small stone room, not much bigger than a garage, in stainless steel under temperature control. No sulphur is used during fermentation or bottling.
Bire also make a Plavac Mali, which is aged in Barriques renewed every three years. The oak influence is subtle, and the wine is herbaceous, bone dry and full of dark fruits and leather.


text:
Bobby Evans worked for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power for many years. Part of his work involved cutting asbestos-cement water pipe. On April 30th, a Los Angeles jury concluded that the dust he brought home on his clothes from cutting pipe made by CertainTeed had caused his wife, Rhoda, to develop mesothelioma. They found CertainTeed to be 70% "at fault", his employer to be 30% "at fault", awarded her $6 million in compensatory damages, awarded him $2 million in loss of consortium damages, and further awarded a $200 million punitive damages against CertainTeed.
There was no doubt in anyone's mind that the punitive damage verdict would be reduced as out of proportion with the compensatory damages. Judge Aragon, in an Order [ Download Order ] issued July 20th, went more than a bit farther, however. It seems that there was evidence at trial of substantial amounts of Johns Manville asbestos cement pipe at the Department of Water and Power, as well as Kubota and Crane asbestos-containing products. The jury, however, found those companies to be 0% "at fault" when rendering their verdict. Judge Aragon held that finding was "not sustainable" given the evidence at trial, and felt that cast the balance of their verdict in doubt. He therefore ordered a re-trial of the entire case.
(Judge Aragon also reduced punitive damages to $5,821,015, a 1:1 ratio with CertainTeed's share of Mrs. Evans' compensatory damage award, just in case the Court of Appeals does not feel a new trial is justified.)
A lawyer for plaintiffs in asbestos cases once told me that, when dealing with a particular Judge, he was always careful what he asked for because, "the verdict has to stand up on appeal." The Evans' attorneys now know to be careful what they ask of Los Angeles juries...


text:
Stool Tests for Colorectal Cancer
Test Overview
A stool test is one of many tests used to look for colorectal cancer. These tests may find cancer early, when treatment works better. Colorectal cancer affects the large intestine (colon) and the rectum.
Stool tests include:
- Fecal immunochemical test (FIT).
- Fecal occult blood test (FOBT).
- Stool DNA (sDNA/Cologuard).
Blood in the stool may be the only symptom of colorectal cancer, but not all blood in the stool is caused by cancer. Other conditions that can cause blood in the stool include:
- Hemorrhoids. These are enlarged, swollen veins in the anus. Hemorrhoids can form inside the anus (internal hemorrhoids) or outside of the anus (external hemorrhoids).
- Anal fissures. These are thin tears in the tissue that lines the anus (anal sphincter) up into the anal canal.
- Colon polyps. These growths of tissue are attached to the colon and often look like a stem or stalk with a round top.
- Peptic ulcers. These sores form when the digestive juices made in the stomach eat away at the lining of the digestive tract.
- Ulcerative colitis. This type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) causes inflammation and sores (ulcers) in the inner lining of the colon and rectum.
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). This is the abnormal backflow (reflux) of food, stomach acid, and other digestive juices into the esophagus.
- Crohn's disease. This type of inflammatory bowel disease causes inflammation and ulcers that may affect the deep layers of the lining of the digestive tract.
- Use of aspirin or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
A stool test is one of many tests that may be used to screen for colon cancer. Other tests include sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy, and CT colonography. Which screening test you choose depends on your risk, your preference, and your doctor. Talk to your doctor about what puts you at risk and what test is best for you.
Health Tools
Health Tools help you make wise health decisions or take action to improve your health.
Why It Is Done
Stool tests are done to look for blood in the stool, since cancer in the colon or polyps in the colon are more likely to bleed than normal colon tissue. One type of stool test, the sDNA test, checks the stool for blood and genetic changes in DNA that could be signs of cancer. If blood or DNA changes are found, more tests, such as a colonoscopy, will be done to find the cause.
How To Prepare
Since colorectal cancers do not bleed all the time, some stool tests are done over several days on different stool samples. This increases the chance of finding blood in your stool if it exists.
With the FOBT, you will be given instructions about foods to avoid in the days before the test. Some medicines may also need to be stopped for a brief time before the test.
Do not do the stool tests during your menstrual period or if you have active bleeding from hemorrhoids. Also, do not test a stool sample that has been in contact with toilet bowl cleaning products that turn the water blue.
Talk to your doctor about any concerns you have regarding the need for the test, its risks, how it will be done, or what the results will mean. To help you understand the importance of this test, fill out the medical test information form( What is a PDF document? ).
How It Is Done
There are different types of home tests. The companies that make the test kits provide instructions. To get accurate results, carefully follow the instructions in your kit.
Fecal immunochemical test (FIT)
The test kit contains the things you need to collect small samples of stool. For some types of FIT, you may need to collect a stool sample on 2 or more days.
The FIT test doesn't require a special diet in the days before you take the test.
When the test is done, follow the instructions to return the test. Some tests provide the results right away. If your test shows that blood was found, call your doctor as soon as possible.
Fecal occult blood test (FOBT)
The test kit contains the things you'll need, such as test cards or a special test pad. You may need to collect stool samples over three different bowel movements on three different days. Be sure to follow any instructions about foods or medicines to avoid in the days before the test.
Your instructions may say to:
- Put tiny samples of stool onto paper cards. Return all the samples right after you collect the last sample.
- Place a special test pad in the toilet after having a bowel movement. The pad will change color if the stool has blood in it.
If there is blood in your stool, call your doctor as soon as possible.
Stool DNA test (sDNA/Cologuard)
The test kit has a container for you to collect an entire stool sample to send to the lab.
The kit includes instructions that show how to collect a stool sample. You may also be asked to take a small sample from the stool that you collected and seal it into a small plastic tube. The kit contains a bottle of liquid preservative that you will pour into the container to cover the stool before sealing the lid. Follow the instructions for sending the kit to the lab.
There is no risk from the stool test itself. For this test, you put a sample of stool on a card or you collect a stool sample. Or you may collect the entire stool.
But there are some important things to think about. If your test is positive, you will need to have a colonoscopy. This would be used to see if the stool test result is from colorectal cancer. But blood in the stool is more often caused by something other than cancer. These other causes could include hemorrhoids, ulcers, or taking aspirin.
Stool test results that are positive when you don't have cancer are called false-positive test results.
Your chances of getting a false-positive test result are higher with the sDNA test compared to FIT or FOBT. This means that you may be more likely to have a colonoscopy that you may not need if you do the sDNA test.
If your test sample is sent to a lab or returned to your doctor's office, your test results will likely be read by your doctor. Some labs may send you the results. And depending on the type of test you choose, you may be able to see the results after completing the last step.
Normal: |
A normal FIT or FOBT test means that there was no blood in your stool at the time of the test. A normal sDNA test means that no blood or changed genes were found. Normal test results are called negative. |
Abnormal: |
An abnormal FIT or FOBT test means that there was some blood in your stool at the time of the test. An abnormal sDNA test means that some blood or changed genes were found. Abnormal test results are called positive. |
Normal results
If a stool test is normal, it does not always mean colorectal cancer or colon polyps are not present. That's because these tests can miss polyps and some cancers.
Talk with your doctor about how often you should do a test, depending on your age and any risk factors you may have for colorectal cancer.
Abnormal results
A colon polyp, a precancerous polyp, or cancer can cause a positive stool test. With a positive test, there is a small chance that you have early-stage colorectal cancer.
Talk with your doctor about what test you may need next. Most of the time, an abnormal stool test means that you will need to have a colonoscopy.
What Affects the Test
Reasons you may not be able to have a stool test or why the results may not be helpful include:
- Having blood in the urine, menstrual bleeding, hemorrhoids, an anal fissure, bleeding gums, or nosebleeds.
- Having cleaning products in the toilet water at the time of the test.
What To Think About
- Stool tests can produce false-positive and false-negative results.
- False-positive means that the test may be positive when you don't have a polyp or cancer.
- False-negative means that the test may be negative when you do have a polyp or cancer.
- These tests may miss polyps and some cancers.
Other Works Consulted
- Chernecky CC, Berger BJ (2013). Laboratory Tests and Diagnostic Procedures, 6th ed. St. Louis: Saunders.
- Fischbach FT, Dunning MB III, eds. (2009). Manual of Laboratory and Diagnostic Tests, 8th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.
- Haas JS (2013). Adult preventive health care. In EG Nabel, ed., ACP Medicine, section 2, chap. 2. Hamilton, ON: BC Decker.
- Hoffman RM, et al. (2010). Colorectal cancer screening adherence is higher with fecal immunochemical tests than guaiac-based fecal occult blood tests: A randomized, controlled trial. Preventive Medicine, 50(5–6): 297–299.
- Levin B, et al. (2008). Screening and surveillance for the early detection of colorectal cancer and adenomatous polyps, 2008: A joint guideline from the American Cancer Society, the U.S. Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer, and the American College of Radiology. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 58(3): 130–160.
- Pagana KD, Pagana TJ (2010). Mosby's Manual of Diagnostic and Laboratory Tests, 4th ed. St. Louis: Mosby Elsevier.
Current as of: December 19, 2018
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:Adam Husney MD – Family Medicine & E. Gregory Thompson MD – Internal Medicine & Kathleen Romito MD – Family Medicine & Arvydas D. Vanagunas MD – Gastroenterology
This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated, disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. Learn how we develop our content.


text:
5 Exciting Reasons Why You Should Invest In Africa's Agribusiness Industry NOW!
When most people think of agriculture in Africa, images of poor and overworked farmers with crude tools on a rural farm readily come to mind. Many, especially young Africans, still think that agribusiness is a poor man's occupation. Nowadays everybody wants a white-collar office job in the city. Agribusiness is hardly on anyone's mind.
Did you know that Africa sits on an agribusiness goldmine but most people just dont't see it? If you're one of the blind, allow me to open your eyes with a few exciting facts you need to know about agribusines in Africa…
Did you know that Africa's richest man, Aliko Dangote, recently invested $1 billion in rice production? Every year, Africa spends billions of dollars on rice imports, and Dangote surely wants a juicy slice of the market.
Did you know that since 2009, investors in the USA, Europe, Middle East and Asia have been buying and leasing millions of hectares of African land for agricultural purposes? Many people may not know it but there's a trend of serious land grabbing by foreign interests for African land.
Did you know that Foreign Direct Investment in African agribusiness was $10 billion in 2010 and is projected to reach $45 billion by 2020? Agriculture is taking a huge leap in Africa and investors want a piece of the action too.
Did you know that Africa's agribusiness industry will be worth $1 trillion by 2030! That's huge! If this projection by the United Nations comes true, agribusiness will become the 'new oil' in Africa!
In the light of all these facts, how come the rich and wealthy folks are investing in Africa's agribusiness industry while the majority of Africans are largely ignorant about the amazing potentials of agriculture on the continent?
In the rest of this article, I'll share with you five reasons why agriculture is the biggest business opportunity right now in Africa. I'll tell you why many of the world's top business people are investing in African agribusiness.
1. Africa has cheap agricultural land
According to the World Bank, Sub-Saharan Africa is home to nearly 50 percent of the world's fertile, usable and uncultivated agricultural land. The size: over 200 million hectares! This is why the continent is now widely considered to be the future breadbasket of the world. It is this huge abundance of land resources that gives Africa the strategic potential to feed the world!
Most of Africa's agricultural land lies in the savannah and tropical rain forest belt, which receives a favourable amount of rainfall and sunlight all year round. As a direct consequence, more than 80 percent of food crops consumed across the world can be produced here.
Interestingly, a large proportion of Africa's agricultural land is located in the rural areas. That's why they're often cheap to buy or lease. On the average, one hectare of land (10,000sqm) can be leased for as low as $100 per year (depending on the location). This makes it one of the best land bargains you can find anywhere in the world!
2. Africa has a ready market and high demand for agricultural produce
Agribusiness is one of the best business opportunities in the world because food never goes out of fashion. People must eat food everyday!
Currently, Africa's population is just over one billion people. At its current growth rate, the continent's population is expected to reach 2.2 billion by 2050. Now and in the future, Africa will always have a lot of mouths to feed.
Africa currently spends billions of dollars every year to import grains, flour and all kinds of finished and semi-finished foods which it can produce locally. There is a huge opportunity for entrepreneurs who can provide cheaper and locally-grown alternatives to the food that Africa imports.
It's not just the food industry that depends on agribusiness. Several other industries, especially the manufacturing and processing industries, depend on agribusiness for a wide range of raw materials. As Africa's economies continue to grow, the demand for raw materials will surely increase and create more interesting opportunities for agribusiness on the continent.
3. Improved varieties and farm practices are changing the game across Africa
Agribusiness in Africa has suffered through the years because of its poor yields and crude farm practices. Most of the crops cultivated on the continent produce very little and are often very prone to pests, diseases and drought. As a result, most African farmers used to work very hard but have very little to show for all their hard work during harvest time.
However, due to advances in crop/animal science and technology, it is now possible to harvest more food per hectare than ever before in Africa's history. There are now improved crop and animal varieties that mature earlier, require less resources, and are less susceptible to pest attacks, diseases and drought. Across Africa, these improved varieties are increasing yields by as much as 400 percent!
There are now improved and locally-adapted varieties of maize, cassava, millet, rice, sorghum, beans, sweet potato, cowpea, groundnut, soybean, pigeon pea, banana, durum wheat, and bread wheat.
There are also several local and international organisations that are focused on supporting African farmers with improved seedlings and support. One of such organisations is the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), launched by the Rockefeller Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2006.
4. Agribusiness is very scalable. You can start with what you have.
Whether you own one plot of land or 10,000 hectares, agribusiness is one of few business opportunities that allow you to start on any scale, with whatever you have!
Entrepreneurs like South Africa's Anna Phosa started her agribusiness in 2008 in her backyard with just four pigs. Today, she owns a 350-hectare pig farm and is a major supplier to Pick n' Pay, the South Africa supermarket chain.
The opportunity to start small means that people with little capital can become part of Africa's multi-billion dollar agribusiness industry. Because of the guaranteed demand for agricultural produce, that small vegetable or poultry farm in your backyard could just become a huge business tomorrow.
Every evidence shows that you don't have to be a wealthy investor with millions of dollars in the bank or a highly-educated person in order to start a business in agriculture in Africa. You can start where you are and use what you have, and grow from there. You can start your agribusiness journey in your home backyard or do it on a part-time basis with your day job. It's very flexible that way!
5. Agribusiness is a huge job creator
Agribusiness is one of the most effective ways to create jobs and empower millions of Africans. At present, up to 60 per cent of the labour force in Sub-Saharan Africa is employed in the agribusiness industry. Agribusiness remains a top employer of labour in many African countries.
The value chain in the agribusiness industry, from food production, processing and marketing provide huge opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship.
So, if you're looking to start a business or invest in an industry that makes a significant social impact, provides jobs and creates sustainable wealth, agribusiness is surely the way to go!
Interested in African agribusiness?
If you're excited about the potentials of agribusiness in Africa and would like to explore it much further, we have just the right resource for you!
Our new book, 101 Ways To Make Money in Africa, will show you the best products, markets and countries to target. You'll also learn about other interesting business ideas, opportunities and success stories in Africa that will surely amaze you.
Africa is changing. You need to be a part of this big dream that's finally coming true!
Source: Financial Juneteenth


text:
Create a Relaxing Oasis. Remodel Your Bathroom!
Aurora (, ) is a home rule municipality located in Arapahoe, Adams, and Douglas counties, Colorado, United States. The city's population was 386,261 at the 2020 United States Census with 336,035 residing in Arapahoe County, 47,720 residing in Adams County, and 2,506 residing in Douglas County. Aurora is the third most populous city in the State of Colorado and the 51st most populous city in the United States. Aurora is a principal city of the Denver–Aurora–Lakewood Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) and a major city of the Front Range Urban Corridor. == History == Before European settlement, the land that now makes up Aurora was the territory of the Arapaho, Cheyenne, Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute), and Očeti Šakówiŋ (Sioux) tribes.
Aurora Highlands, Aurora Hills, Aurora Knolls - Hutchinson Heights, Centre Pointe, Chambers Heights, City Center North, Delmar Parkway, East Quincy Highlands, East Ridge - Ptarmigan Park, Expo Park, Heather Gardens, Heather Ridge, Highland Park, Highline Villages, Horseshoe Park


text:
In Europe this week for a Microsoft launch event, I've been reflecting on the Zune HD, and while I wasn't originally sure I needed to write a wrap-up of sorts for this multi-part Zune HD review, it occurred to me that some concluding thoughts were in order. There's more to come, actually--next month, Microsoft will release the Zune video interface for the Xbox 360--but there's already so going on with this fourth generation Zune, and I'm of mixed feelings when I consider whether it's a success.
I think the problem here is that the Zune has always been too much of a compromise. The first Zune was created in the iPod's image, literally, and was as such a pale imitation of what Apple had already created. Of course, even the first generation Zune had a few advantages over Apple's offerings, with an FM radio, a subscription service, and better use of the device's onscreen real estate (with beautiful, nearly full-screen album art).
These trends--copying Apple while offering a few additional advantages--continued in each Zune generation, and it's happening again with Zune HD. Microsoft was late to the touch-screen game by about two years, for example, but it leapfrogged Apple by using infinitely superior OLED screen technology, and by providing HD radio support and 720p HD video output (with an optional dock).
But the Zune HD soldiers on with the same weird limitations as its predecessors and as Apple expands and enhances the iPod lineup and its surrounding hardware, software, and services ecosystem, the gap only widens. Today, the Zune HD is offered in only one country worldwide, the United States, and when I asked Microsoft about this, I was met with a cooler-than-usual response that offered little to no hope that the company took this product seriously enough to offer it outside its own locale.
It's not just availability. Because the Zune has never really been successful, there are only a handful of hardware accessories (cases, docks, cables, and so on), while the iPod hardware ecosystem is an industry unto itself. And don't get me started with automobile access: Virtually every single auto maker on earth offers iPod compatibility, and iPod car kits are commonplace. If you want a Zune in your car, you're looking at generic MP3 solutions (USB or line-in inputs) or just a tiny number of Zune-specific solutions, none of which are readily available.
The effects of this disparity are enormous and impossible to ignore. You really have to know what you're getting into when you choose the Zune HD because you're pretty much on your own when you do. It's what being a Mac user was like 7-8 years ago: The people who chose this option understood the challenges and lack of support but thought the underlying hardware and software was excellent enough to make it work.
Mac users, of course, have been rewarded for their patience and loyalty. I don't believe this will ever be the case with the Zune devices, sorry. And while I do use and recommend the Zune HD highly, especially to music lovers, I also feel the need to remind people that you need to go into this decision with your eyes wide open.
This doesn't mean that the Zune is "doomed" or whatever. But I do feel that the Zune device will always be a niche player in the market and, more important perhaps, an increasingly irrelevant part of Microsoft's wider strategy for the Zune platform. This, too, is an important thing to understand, and a huge difference between the first Zune of 2006 and the fourth generation Zune platform or 2009. Three years ago, Microsoft was offering a new digital media platform centered on and around a portable MP3 player. All of the PC software and services that constituted the Zune platform of that day were there solely to support that device.
That is most decidedly not the case today. And when you look at the Zune HD--awesome as it is--you have to understand that the Zune HD is really just a part of today's Zune platform. There isn't a pyramid with the Zune HD on top. The Zune HD is just a piece of a wider puzzle, and an optional one at that.
Today's Zune platform consists of many pieces, none of which sit above the others. We have the Zune PC software, which is excellent even if you never access any other Zune services or buy a Zune device of any kind. (In fact, the Zune PC software is so good, it's the one part of today's Zune platform that I can recommend without reservation to any Windows user.) We have the device line, which now consists of a single form factor. And we have a burgeoning set of online services, including the excellent and affordable Zune Pass subscription, the Zune Social online community, the Zune Marketplace (which has been bolstered by more video content, though it still falls far short of what Apple offers on iTunes), and the new and vastly improved Zune.net web site, which offers particular value to Zune Pass users who wish to access the Zune Marketplace music library away from their own PCs.
The problem, of course, is that many pieces of this puzzle have yet to be fleshed out, and there is much more coming down the road in some indefinite future. Microsoft has told me firmly and clearly that Zune is now its overreaching entertainment service brand for the entire company. Going forward, it will be brought to other businesses within Microsoft--including, explicitly, Xbox and Windows Mobile, and, implicitly, Windows itself. Microsoft sees Zune as the way it will deliver rich entertainment experiences around music and video, no matter where those experiences may occur.
This sounds very exciting and it speaks to a future of consistent, excellent, digital media experiences across the so-called "three screens and the cloud" (PC, TV, smart phone, and services) that Microsoft is currently touting as its overall consumer focus going forward. And Zune is literally the brand that the company will use to promote the most interesting and (I think) important consumer offerings.
But how will this impact you in the real world? Sadly, almost not at all, at least not anytime soon. The only Zune release we know of that will occur outside of the traditional Zune platform is the Zune Video functionality that will be added to the Xbox 360 in November. Microsoft says this is not just a rebranding of the current (and weak) video playback functionality that's currently available on the video game console. To prove its point, Microsoft notes that the Zune video functionality adds new features 1080i HD video content, "instant on" video streaming, and a merging of the Zune Marketplace and Xbox Live Marketplace video (TV show and movie) catalogs. Oddly, the Xbox version of this service offers some advantages over the Zune PC software: For example, when you choose HD content from the Xbox 360, it will be made available at 1080i, whereas HD content on the PC is limited to 720p.
I can and did argue that these improvements didn't require a Zune branding. To which Microsoft can (and did) respond that their work on the console provided an Xbox-like experience but with a "Zune flavor." More important, of course, is that this is just the first step. Microsoft started with video because it seemed like it was the obvious place to begin, given that the Xbox 360 is Microsoft's primary living room interface. There are 20 million of those things out there, after all.
I get that. But the slow way that Microsoft is pushing Zune outside its boundaries is a bit alarming. It seems like the company could have (and should have) delivered on Zune-based music and photo experiences on the Xbox 360 this year as well. And as anyone who's ever used the Xbox 360's bare-bones media playback controls will tell you, such an upgrade is desperately needed.
I long for such a day. The thought of something like the Zune PC software running on the Xbox 360 is terribly exciting, and it would make the Xbox 360 the obvious choice for digital media enthusiasts. Why this isn't happening, or at least happening more quickly, is unclear.
And that's before we ever get past the console. Last week, Microsoft shipped its brand new Windows Mobile version, Windows Mobile 6.5, on dozens of handsets around the world. But Windows Mobile 6.5 comes with a years-old version of Windows Media Player and not a modern Zune solution. As with the Xbox 360, I imagine how awesome Windows Mobile could be if it came with Zune device-like media playback experiences. Microsoft's platform would suddenly be desirable, and not a laughing stock.
And then there's the PC. In two weeks, Microsoft will unleash its most eagerly-awaited Windows version in almost 15 years, Windows 7. But for all the excitement around Windows 7--and I must include myself in the not-so-exclusive crowd of people who are indeed excited about Windows 7--this OS still ships with old-school Windows Media Player and Windows Media Center software. Yes, WMP has gotten a nice update in Windows 7, but come on: There's no online store story anymore and nothing it does couldn't have been handled better by the Zune software instead. Media Center is a bit more complex. It's gotten a rather tepid update in Windows 7, but it does include unique TV recording functionality that, while little-used, is still outside the bounds of what's available on Zune.
I've called on Microsoft in the past to get rid of Windows Media Player at least, and I'm doing so again. The time is now to remove this legacy deadwood from Windows and replace it with a modern and superior platform. Fortunately for the software giant, that platform already exists. It's called Zune. And maybe that's what they'll do in Windows 8. It can't happen quickly enough in my opinion.
Where this is heading
While the future of Zune extends across Microsoft's relevant consumer businesses, the Zune platform of today is really just an evolved version of the Zune platform we've known (and in some cases, loved) for three years. Promises are nice, but they're not reality, and if you're considering the Zune HD today, you need to take that reality into account.
It's not a pretty picture. I don't like to have caveats attached to every recommendation I make, but the Zune platform still comes with plenty of reservations, buts, and ifs. There is no way to make a blanket statement about any of this, except perhaps for the PC software. Here's how it boils down in my mind.
Zune HD
Apple markets its best-selling iPod touch as a portable media player, a pocket computer, and a game player, and there is no way to argue against any of that; it does all three of those things pretty damn well. By comparison, the Zune is an excellent portable media player only. If you are into music, particularly, and want to explore and discover new music, the Zune HD beats the iPod touch, hands down, especially when combined with a Zune Pass subscription. If, however, you want to purchase non-music content online (movies, TV shows, and so on), the iPod touch is served by a vastly superior online store. It is also backed by a pervasive ecosystem that will keep you swimming in whatever hardware accessories, cases, car kits, or other add-ons you may desire. There is nothing like that on the Zune. It's not even close. The one exception, hardware-wise, is that the Zune HD has a nice (optional) dock that can output in HD but offers only basic device access. And of course if you add an Xbox 360 to the mix, things get a bit better now (and will get a bit better again in the near future).
Recommendations: : The Zune HD is a superior music player but falls short for other media types and for non-music-player capabilities. If apps, Internet services, games, or other non-music functionality is a concern, you'd be crazy not to get an iPod touch.
What I'm doing: I've chosen the Zune HD as my media player going forward, and on the current trip to Europe, I loaded up two Zune HDs with my music, audiobook, and podcast collections as well as a selection of rented, purchased, and ripped-from-DVD movies and TV shows. I will continue to maintain an iPhone and/or iPod touch, however, to keep up with the doings on the Apple side of the fence and to take advantage of the unique pocket computer/game player features that only the iPhone/iPod touch provides. This is not an option for most people, of course.
\[ Read more about the Zune HD in my review. \]
PC software
The Zune PC software has evolved nicely over the past three product versions (the first one was an anomaly and was based on Windows Media Player) and is now mostly superior to anything offered in Windows Media Player or Windows Media Center. (Unless of course you want to use Media Center's TV functionality.)
Recommendations: : I strongly recommend that all Windows users at least try the Zune PC software and would point out that it only gets better if you couple it with one or more of the Zune online services.
What I'm doing: I use the Zune PC software semi-exclusively to manage my music and video collections. (The one exception is that I have to use iTunes, of course, for my iPhone and iPod touch.) What I mean by this is that I rate songs with Zune. I purchase content from Zune (when it's available). I download and manage podcasts with Zune. This is my hub for music and video.
\[ Read more about the Zune 4.0 PC Software in my review. \]
Zune Marketplace
While Microsoft has made advances with its online store over the past few years, it still trails iTunes dramatically in all areas. The one possible exception is music, where the Zune catalog is at least competitive and is delivered in DRM-free and highly compatible MP3 format. But Apple also offers DRM-free music, and it is delivered in a superior AAC format, one that is now broadly compatible if you're a Windows 7 user. (AAC works fine in Zune regardless.) Look past music, however, and it's no contest: Apple has vastly superior offerings for TV shows, movies, podcasts, audiobooks, and other content, and of course a ginormous collection of iPhone/iPod touch games and applications. It's no contest.
Recommendations: : The Zune Marketplace is not a reason to choose the Zune platform, but it is something you will have to deal with if you do opt to go Zune. One point in Microsoft's favor is that its music collection is available in DRM-free MP3 format. But then, that's true of many services. You should simply buy music from the service that offers the best deal, and since there's no penalty for shopping around, do so. (And if you have moved to Windows 7, consider iTunes for music as well; its AAC offerings offer superior sound quality.) For video, there's little to recommend here, but that may improve in the future.
What I'm doing: I shop around for digital music and generally choose between iTunes, Zune, and Amazon MP3. I do use Zune Marketplace in tandem with Zune Pass, of course, and for its Channels and Picks, though both features require an investment in Zune Social and/or Zune Pass as well.
\[ Read more about Zune Marketplace in my review of the Zune online services. \]
Zune Social
Microsoft's online community has done for music what Xbox Live did for gaming, and while it's an underrated part of the Zune platform, it's a big selling point for music lovers because it connects you to others with the same musical taste and can help you discover new content. I'm curious to see if this service will ever offer similar discoverability for other content types (like movies or TV shows).
Recommendations: : Zune Social is worth the investment if you're a music fan. Of course, this service makes even more sense if you buy into the full Zune experience with a Zune Pass and, possibly, a Zune HD device.
What I'm doing: As I get older, I find it hard to discover new music, and while I'm not sure if it's apathy or my busy schedule, I can report that I've found a bunch of new music courtesy of Zune Social and Zune Pass. I find this incredibly useful.
\[ Read more about Zune Social in my review of the Zune online services. \]
Zune Pass
If you are a music lover, Zune Pass is the place to be, and of course it gets even better with the music discovery features available through Zune Social and Zune Marketplace. Plus you can fill up a Zune HD device quite nicely with just subscription-based music, finding new content each month and reducing the effective cost of the service to $5 a month when you factor in the ten free songs you get. It's a great deal.
Recommendations: : Music fans will find that Zune Pass is reason enough to go Zune. There's just nothing like it on the Apple side, and while it's possible to find subscription music services in the PlaysForSure world, those services are dogged by inferior software and devices.
What I'm doing: I subscribe to Zune Pass and will continue to do so.
\[ Read more about Zune Pass in my review of the Zune online services. \]
The improved Zune.net web site is one of the truly pleasant surprises in the new version of Zune platform. Previously, this site served as a typical information hub for the Zune, and offered access to web-only features like Zune Originals. But now you can access the Zune Marketplace's music (and podcast) content from the site. For non-subscribers, that means 30-second song previews, which isn't too excited. But couple it with a Zune Pass subscription and you can suddenly start queuing up playlists from a collection of several million songs. That's pretty exciting, especially for those who would like such access at work, but aren't allowed to install software such as the Zune PC software. And Microsoft gets bonus points for making it work with competing browsers. This may be the closest Mac users ever get to the Zune.
Recommendations: : As with the Zune Marketplace, Zune.net isn't a reason to consider the Zune necessarily, but it is a wonderful perk for those who do need this functionality.
What I'm doing: I haven't yet run into a situation where I need to access Zune Marketplace content from the web, but then I work from home and configure my own PCs.
\[ Read more about Zune.net in my review of the Zune online services. \]
Final thoughts
Overall, the Zune platform of which the Zune HD is just a part is excellent for what it is but still incomplete and lacking when compared to Apple's offerings. That's a sad statement, because parts of Microsoft's platform--the Zune HD itself, Zune Pass, and the Zune PC software--are fantastic. Some of it is clearly superior to competing parts of the iPod/iTunes ecosystem. But some of it isn't. And when you factor in the sheer scope of the Apple side of the fence, it's hard to make an argument for something that is smaller, does less, and is not very well supported. I do use the Zune and will continue do so. But I feel less certain about recommending this path to others, and I find that a bit troubling.
I look forward to a Zune that I can recommend without caveat. But we're not there, not yet.